International Oncology Centre, and Fortis Hospital Noida, a multi super-speciality hospital organised the 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Fighters and Survivors Meet at the hospital. The programme was directed at bringing together cancer survivors, fighters, supporters and medical practitioners to share their experiences with breast cancer and the road to recovery. The meet was also aimed at increasing awareness about preventive and diagnostic measures and removal of taboo of being a cancer patient while highlighting common risk factors and habits that potentially cause cancer Breast Cancer affects close to 10.9 million people worldwide and claims up to 6.7 million lives. It is prevalent in almost all regions of the world. However, with increased awareness of screening tests, access to good medical and psychological care and survivor support groups, breast cancer can be detected and tackled more effectively. In the Meet, the survivors shared their heart warming stories of how they defeated breast cancer.Speaking at the event, Dr. Manish Singhal, Consultant - Medical Oncology, International Oncology Centre at Fortis Hospital, Noida said, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females and not only in India but also world over. Our sedentary lifestyle and irregular habits are the leading and modifiable causes of the disease. Moreover, the lack of awareness and regular screening processes lead to later detection and subsequent complications. We organized this meet with the aim of getting fighters together to share their experiences and learn more about the disease from each other as well as from our experts. It gives me immense happiness to see women give a strong fight to breast cancer and I appreciate every individual effort taken in making this initiative a success.”Breast Cancer detection is easier than most other cancers owing to the ease of access to the organ which makes detection of abnormalities in tissues much easier even through external examination. In developed countries screening mammography has revolutionized the breast cancer outcomes. Routine mammography is also advisable once in 1-2 yrs after the age of 40 years for all females. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.Other common factors that contribute to the occurrence of breast cancer include early age at menarche, late age at menopause, smoking, alcohol, and radiation exposure. Women with denser breast tissue (as seen on a mammogram) have more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue, and have a higher risk of breast cancer. Being overweight or obese has also been found to increase breast cancer risk, especially for women after menopause. But with greater research and developing medical practices, more and more drugs are being added to the available armoury for our doctors to provide better care for our patients. Mr. Sukmeet Singh Sandhu, Facility Director, Fortis Hospital, Noida said, “There has been a significant advancement in cancer research and management over past few decades however; it still remains a leading cause of death worldwide. From our efforts we want to raise awareness and let people know that how breast cancer can be cured and how important it is to detect the cancer at an early stage. It is the continuous endeavour of Fortis to share and deliberate the recent medial developments and the thought behind this program is to encourage our survivors and the fighters to come together and share their great surviving stories.” http://internationaloncology.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284&Itemid=171 Project Name International Oncology Centre and Fortis Hospital, Noida organised 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Meet. Location India Commence -NA- Completion -NA- Estimated Investment -NA- Capacity -NA- Key Players International Oncology Centre & Fortis Hospital Noida